Just As You Are

As Abigail’s mom, I want every part of her.

I want her highs and lows, her laughs and giggles, her snuggles and kisses, and her sweet ramblings of nothing. I even want her tantrums and anger, her frustrations and screams.

I want her to be herself, the person God made her to be. I don’t want her to fix herself, and then come to me once she’s put together. I want to help her when she’s broken, and encourage her when she’s frustrated. I want to work through her tough moments with her.

God wants us the way I want my daughter. He wants us when we’re hurting, and angry, and even when we feel like we don’t want Him back. He wants us. He wants to work through our lows with us, and rejoice when we hit our highs.

How many times do I hesitate to pray because I feel like I’m not in the “right mindset”? Or choose not to open my Bible because, in this moment, I’m not prepared to do a deep theological study?

We love God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Not the other way around.

I plead in my heart for my daughter to never stop being herself with me, and I believe God would invite us to do the same in our relationship with Him.

Come to Him, just as you are.

"Behold what manner of love the Father has betstowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1).

"If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself" (2 Tim 2:13).

"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10).